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Professional Advisors Seminars

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Professional Advisors Seminars

The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation works closely with the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley (EPCLV) to sponsor a variety of educational programs including an annual seminar held in partnership with the Council. EPCLV Lehigh Valley’s premier organization of professionals actively engaged in providing estate planning services and supporting activities whose members are attorneys, accountants, trust officers, financial planners, insurance agents, planned giving professionals, and specialist in related fields. LVCF’s President and CEO Erika Riddle Petrozelli currently serves as Past-President of the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley.


LVCF sponsored the Economic Outlook & Developments in Residential & Commercial Real Estate talk in Partership with the Estate Planning Council – Lehigh Valley that was held on October 17, 2023, that included a presentation by Ryotaro Tashiro and Kali Aloisi from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.  LVCF’s Erika Riddle Petrozelli, CPA, CAP, President and CEO of Lehigh Valley Community Foundation welcomed the group and introduced the speakers. Erika is past-president of the Estate Planning Council – Lehigh Valley.

The program included a talk, General Economic Outlook. Using various data sources that are publicly available, the speaker presented a number of macroeconomic topics, including, but not limited to, GDP and near-term outlook, labor market conditions, housing market conditions, and monetary policy. The speaker also addressed national trends as well as regional trends, which allowed the attendees to easily relate themselves to the information discussed. Part 2 focused on Developments in Residential & Commercial Real Estate and took a deeper dive into residential housing market conditions followed by an exploration of developments in commercial real estate both office and industrial spaces.

As a senior outreach economist, Ryo Tashiro travels across the Third District, speaking to various groups about the economic outlook and the functions of the Federal Reserve. Many of the research topics Ryo has pursued were inspired by these conversations with the public. Those topics include his two main areas of focus, labor economics and demographics. Among his many contributions to the Bank, Ryo is notably responsible for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia Economic Outlook Survey. Prior to joining the Bank in June 2016, Ryo was a business analyst for Bloomberg, where he conducted research on issues related to equity data quality. He has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kenyon College.

Kali Aloisi is an economic outreach associate. In her role, Kali contributes to research done at the Bank. She also shares the results of the Bank’s economic research with businesses, financial institutions, and community stakeholders in the Third District. Kali aims to provide tangible insights on the economy that people can use in their own communities. Kali and her team also create open dialogues with the people of the District that contribute to the Bank’s understanding of economic conditions on the ground. She began her career in social policy research, where she applied research principles and economic ideas to issues related to economic mobility, housing, and health. Through that work, she garnered a personal interest in data and statistical analysis and enjoys applying those concepts to understanding real-world problems. Kali has a master’s degree in applied statistics and a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in community action and social change from the University of Michigan.

See the photos from the event on the LVCF Flicker Page at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBaYeF


Recent Events

Introduction to ESG Investing and Diversity Considerations in Investing

Bikram Chadha, Director, PFM Asset Management, presented “Introduction to Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing/Diversity Considerations in Investing” on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at Homewood Suites in Center Valley. 

LVCF and the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley co-sponsored a program, “Introduction to ESG Investing | Diversity Considerations in Investing. Erika Riddle Petrozelli, President and CEO of the Community Foundation and Chair of the EPCLV introduced the PFM Asset Management LLC team of Bikram Chadha, Director Endowment & Foundation Specialist; John Spagnola, Managing Director Co-Head, Outsourced CIO Practice; and Surya Pisapati, CFA Director Head of Global Equities.

See the photos from the event on LVCF’s Flickr page.

Past Estate Planning Awareness Week Seminars

2021

Laura Hansen Dean

The Community Foundation partnered with the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley and present a special two-part program with attorney Laura Hansen Dean focusing on Charitable Planning in a Time of Uncertainty and Ethical Considerations in Talking with Clients about Charitable Giving Options. The program was held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, October 7, 2021. The program was sponsored by Mason Investment Advisory Services, Inc. In 2017 Laura Hansen Dean, Attorney at Law (Indiana, Texas) returned to Indiana and the charitable gift planning and consulting firm she founded in 1991, Laura Hansen Dean and Associates. Her clients include The University of Texas at Austin for whom she serves as Senior Director of Gift Design and Documentation. She is recognized as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable charitable gift planners in the country. For over thirty years she has assisted individuals and their advisors in considering and designing charitable giving plans as part of personal financial planning and estate planning.


2019

In celebration of Estate Planning Awareness Week 2019, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation sponsored the Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley’s program led by Ken Florian, President, Corgenius.

The program, “Advising Clients Through the Toughest Times of Life” was held on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Center Valley, Pa. 

See the photos on LVCF’s Flickr page


2018

Amy Castoro

The Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley held a talk by Amy Castoro, President & CEO, The Williams Group, entitled “Will Your Client’s Wealth Unify or Divide Their Family?” The talk, sponsored in part by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, was held on Thursday, October 25, 2018, at the Northampton Country Club.

Castoro made the case that trusted advisors can build deeper relationships with their clients and prospects, access and engage the next generation to improve retention, and ensure family unity during wealth transition. “Advisors can gain more insight into how to interact with their clients to reduce the impact of wealth and wealth transfer on their families,” Castoro explained. “Advisors also explore the additional satisfaction—beyond asset growth and retention—that comes from actively engaging the inheriting generation to become productive contributors to family unity, wellbeing and legacy.”


2017

Hadar Susskind

Hadar Susskind, senior vice president of Government Relations, Council on Foundations spoke on June 7, 2017. His talk, “Washington Update: An Inside Look at Politics and Philanthropy” addressed the opportunities and challenges associated with tax reform and the Johnson Amendment, among other issues, and other recent developments/news.  He outlined the Council  on Foundation’s position on a variety of important issues in philanthropy. With two decades of experience in public policy, philanthropy and social movements, Susskind has been widely acknowledged as one of the leading advocacy voices working in Washington D.C. on both domestic and foreign policy. He has built strong relationships with members of Congress, administration officials, and partners and allies from across the spectrum of American political life. For more, visit the http://www.cof.org/person/hadar-susskind. Hadar Susskind, senior vice president of Government Relations, Council on Foundations, presented the latest discussions in the nation’s capital affecting the philanthropic community.  The Community Foundation will use the occasion to present its prestigious Service to Philanthropy Award to Bruce A. Palmer, CPA, Buckno Lisicky & Company.